Across the Room
by shakeitsalome
Summary: He knew in that moment that all he would ever be was her friend. (Inspired by "You Don't See Me" by SafetySuit) Sami and Finn/OC One-shot.


**A/N: This one-shot is dedicated to the memory of my very, very dear friend, Laurie. Laurie was an integral part of my writing for the past two years. Possibly my biggest cheerleader, she became one of only a small handful of people with whom I could discuss my fanfiction writing, and the one person who helped me create better characters. Her death earlier this year was devastating. This was a story idea that she helped craft. This one's for you, Laurie.**

Across the Room

* * *

 _Winter_

The ground was frosted with a thin layer of snow when Sami Zayn left his hotel. He inhaled the crisp air. It invigorated him. Humming under his breath, he enjoyed the crunch of fresh snow beneath his shoes as he walked along the sidewalk. The windows of the shops along the promenade were darkened, but he was cheered by the twinkling lights of the season that some sported. A jolly animatronic Santa Claus waved at him through a toy shop window and, smiling, he continued on his way.

The ice rink was two blocks from the hotel. He knew that more than a few of his coworkers were heading there later in the morning, but he looked forward to having some alone time on the ice. He stopped at a coffee shop to purchase a cup of coffee and drank it while making his way down the last block. His breath was thick plumes of fog above his head and he felt the chill of the frigid air on his cheeks.

The rented skates laced up easily. The bench was hard beneath him, and the large rink covered in ice glinted under the fluorescent lights. He'd had to wait for the Zamboni to finish its rounds. To his surprise, music began to play as he stepped out onto the ice. He vaguely recognized the tune. It was a slower song, but he began to hum along while he made wide circles to warm up.

On his second round he saw that he didn't have the ice to himself. He coasted forward, watching the woman in the center of the ice skate in a backwards figure eight. The one feature that stood out to him was her hair. It reminded him of the red velvet cupcakes he and Cesaro had sneaked when no one was looking the night before. Her sweater was the same color of the creamy frosting, he saw, turning to skate backwards so he could continue watching her.

Lithe, powerful legs propelled her forward. She moved in time to the tune playing, ponytail streaming behind her like a maroon ribbon. The blades of her skates glided along the ice, and when she passed him she gave him a cheerful smile before turning and heading in the opposite direction. Her movements were perfectly in sync with each rise and fall of the elegant music playing, her body evoking every nuance and emotion in the cadence.

He felt severely novice as he watched her. Her body lifted off the ice and spun through the air. When she landed, he saw her jerk her fist in victory. She did the move again, not so much as wobbling as she landed and coasted backwards. Arms outstretched, she began to turn. She kicked off the ice again, launched into a series of twirls and flips, then lowered, one leg stretched out in front of her. So low she seemed to be sliding across the ice on her backside, her face was radiant as the music reached its crescendo.

Drawn in, holding his breath, he could only stare at what had to be perfect form. She lowered her leg and was upright in the blink of an eye. Back arched, head high, she resumed her intricate mixture of dance and sport and athleticism.

Sami recognized the rapid spinning of figure skaters as she reached the center of the ice again. The piano in the song became a flourish, and when it finished she was perfectly still, head bowed. Unable to help himself, he skidded to a stop and began to clap.

She jerked her head up. Close enough to see her face clearly, he noted her cheeks were flushed. "Thank you," she said, lips curving into a smile.

"That was great," he enthused.

"You're too kind, really." She rolled her shoulders as another song began. "Did you need the rink? I wanted to grab some practice before work, but you can go ahead—"

"No, no, I'm just doing my little kid maneuvers," he chuckled. "Some of my friends are coming. But none of us are as good as you."

"You're not in the show tomorrow night?" She looked surprised.

"Show?" he echoed.

"For the children's hospital fundraiser?" She tilted her head, her red velvet ponytail falling over her shoulder. "Come to think of it, I've never seen you here before."

"I'm just in town for business," he explained. "And as much as I love the ice, I'll never be good enough to skate for other people."

"Surely you're not that bad." There was a teasing smile pulling at her lips. "Come on, skate with me."

"No, really, it's all I can do to do a figure eight, I really—" Sami ceased his protests when she caught one of his waving hands and pulled him along the ice.

"To be honest, I've never done pair skating. Well, not in years. But we're not going to be competing in the Olympics, so I think we'll be alright."

"I've never done it. Ever," he groused, reaching to adjust his cap while he tried to match the movements of her feet.

"It's just like dancing. You know, on a thin blade over an inch of ice," she added with a grin. "Do you know how to dance?"

"Ah, well…"

"You'll be fine," she assured. "Just do what I do."

There was some blundering. His foot crashed into hers more than once, but she was able to keep them both upright. After a few rounds he began to relax. When she demonstrated how to lead her into a spin, he mimicked her movements as best he could, holding onto her waist a little tighter than he probably should have. She smiled up at him.

"See? You're a natural." She reached for his hand, and he felt something in his chest lurch when she spun away from him. He was skating backwards, and was in awe as she pirouetted closer to him.

"Maybe you're just a great teacher," he suggested.

"If you saw me trying to instruct my niece, you wouldn't—" She cut off, glancing behind him. "Are those your friends?"

He looked over his shoulder to see Finn, Cesaro, and Dean Ambrose stepping onto the ice. "Yep, that's them."

Too soon for his liking, she had guided him across the full rink. He admired the dramatic flourish with which she ended their skating and, aware of the curious looks on his friends' faces, began the introductions. To his horror, he realized halfway through that he didn't know her name.

"It's Laurie," she supplied, shaking their hands. Turning to Sami, she smiled again. "And you are?"

Dean and Cesaro laughed, then quickly went out onto the ice to get away.

"Sami," he answered.

"Great to meet you. And you," she called towards Dean and Cesaro, who waved. Pushing up the sleeve of her sweater, she glanced at her watch and sighed. "And I need to go or I'll be late for work."

Sami opened his mouth to speak, only to close it when Finn lightly caught her hand and helped her off the ice. He heard them start to talk and, feeling superfluous, turned and skated away.

* * *

 _Spring_

Standing on the balcony of his hotel room, Sami sighed with happiness. It had been an eventful weekend. Now it was Monday, and he could feel the temperature in Orlando rise with the sun. Before long it would be time to leave for the arena. And then he had only a short drive home. Not that anything was waiting at home for him, save for that new book he was yearning to read…

At the arena, he fell into the backstage hubbub with ease. It was so much easier to not feel alone when surrounded by his friends and coworkers. With WrestleMania having been the night before, there were more people than usual. A few celebrities. Family members that had flown in for the event. And the crew filming bits and pieces for a future network special.

He had just finished his match and was backstage, mopping his brow and chatting with Kevin, when he glimpsed a familiar head. Pausing mid-sentence, he leaned to get a better look, unaware of the smile pulling at his lips. It was her.

The girl with the red velvet hair. Laurie.

She slipped between crew members, apologizing, and lurched to a stop when she saw him. "Sami?"

"Laurie," he greeted, starting to grin.

"When you said you were in town on business a few months back, you could have mentioned it was this business," she teased. She moved closer to make way for someone trying to pass, and flicked a lock of hair behind her ear. "By the way, I just watched your match. Congratulations on the win."

"Thanks." Feeling an elbow meet his ribs, he cleared his throat. "This is Kevin Owens. Kevin, meet Laurie."

"Hello," Kevin greeted, shooting Sami a look after shaking Laurie's hand. Sami knew the look well. He would have explaining to do later.

"What brings you to Orlando?" Sami asked, deciding it was best to ignore Kevin. More importantly, he wanted to know how she had ended up at the show. And why she was backstage. The lanyard around her neck bore the company logo, and he saw the all access badge.

"I flew in on Thursday. I was at the show last night," she added. She fiddled with the laminated badge. "I'm heading back north in a couple days."

"Kevin, you ready?" a voice called from down the corridor.

Sami watched realization dawn on Laurie's face. Her friendly smile melted into a warm grin. As Finn approached them, he knew what had brought her to Florida. Why she was at the show. And why she was backstage. Vaguely aware of the conversation going on right in front of him, he thought back to all the times in recent months that Finn had alluded to someone special.

At first he had merely said he'd met someone and was going to see her again when his schedule allowed. Then, after Valentine's Day, he'd mentioned taking her home to meet his family. More than a few times when Sami had suggested they hang out on days off, Finn had declined, saying he was headed to Chicago. Sami had never questioned him about _her_ , because Finn had always been close-lipped about his relationships. He was probably one of the best in the business at keeping his private life just that – private – and Sami had long admired him for it.

But, shit, couldn't he have at least mentioned her name?

"I better get back to my seat," Laurie was saying.

Sami swallowed down the lump of jealousy that had formed in his throat and smiled at her. "Great to see you again."

"You, too. Maybe we can all have dinner before I go back home," she suggested. Leaning to press a kiss to Finn's cheek, she murmured that he would see him in a little bit. Then she was gone, disappearing in the chaos of backstage with an ease that suggested she had been at shows before. Finn followed her.

Kevin moved to follow as well, but turned back to Sami with a sad, understanding expression. "It'll be okay, man."

"What?" Sami shrugged and tossed the towel around his neck. "Nothing's wrong."

Kevin merely looked at him, blinking slowly.

"There isn't," Sami insisted, hating that he felt his cheeks start to grow warm. "I'm going to shower, alright? Have a good match."

"Sam—"

"Later," he called over his shoulder, having already turned to go to the locker room.

He was fine, he told himself later. He was more than fine. Finn had done nothing wrong. He didn't know that Laurie had haunted Sami's dreams since that first meeting in Chicago. How could he? It wasn't as though Sami went around discussing his dreams.

Besides, they were a nice looking couple, he decided. They'd found an all-night diner away from the arena, and Finn had been craving a greasy burger. Laurie was hungry too and, hey, did Sami want to join them?

He hadn't been able to say no. So now he sat across from them, Neville at his side. He wasn't sure how Neville had garnered an invitation. Maybe he'd invited himself. Or the invitation may have come from Finn's parents, who were at the table with them. Sami had paid little attention to any of them since they'd been seated. Because across from him, he could see a romance blossoming.

Laurie was the only woman he'd ever known that was able to make Finn giggle. Not the awkward, embarrassed giggle that sometimes escaped during interviews, but a full-fledged giggle that devolved into a belly laugh. Sami ignored the soft pang of jealousy when his friend tossed an arm around Laurie's shoulders and tugged her close, and dropped his gaze to his plate before he could see the kiss he knew was coming.

Finn's mother asked after his family, and he was grateful to her for diverting his attention. There was talk of both sets of parents getting together over the summer, if schedules allowed.

"Hopefully you boys will be able to come, too," Finn's mother added, and the smile she sent to Laurie was full of warmth. "And you know you're always welcome."

It was good to know Laurie had been accepted by Finn's parents. Sami wondered if his brothers and sisters liked her, deciding as he finished his burger that they probably did. A more welcoming clan, he'd never met.

Finn looked so happy, he thought suddenly, watching his friend relax completely in the company of his parents and girlfriend. He felt guilty all of a sudden, for being jealous. And he wondered if he was jealous that Finn was with Laurie, or just simply jealous that Finn had _someone_.

He found out that she worked in one of the larger libraries in Chicago. While eating, she told Sami and Neville about speech and reading delays when she was younger. And how her Kindergarten teacher had taken the time to help her and inspire her to keep improving, and sparked a love for reading. Yes, she was a regular ice skater, and had once thought of trying out for the Olympics, until she found out just how grueling the training schedule was. So she just did it for fun, and the local league at the rink put on a few shows a year to raise money for charity.

After saying goodbye and getting into his car, Sami released a sigh. He couldn't blame Finn at all for pursuing a relationship with her. And he was determined that he would be happy for his friend. No matter what.

* * *

 _Summer_

The heatwave that descended two weeks before still gripped the continent. Sami wasn't sure what was worse, the triple-digit temperatures or the fact that the humidity caused him to sweat as soon as he stepped outside. Halfway to his car, he began to envy scientists that spent months at a time doing studies at the South Pole. He started the car without getting inside, then waited next to it for the air conditioning to cool the interior enough that he wouldn't melt as soon as he got into his seat, the whole while sending out silent apologies to the earth.

His phone began to ring just as he eased into the seat. Thankful that he hadn't gone for leather interior after all, he answered Finn's call.

"What are you up to?" Finn asked once they'd exchanged greetings.

"I'm going to get ice cream."

"Won't it melt before you get back home?"

"I was thinking I'd just eat it in the store." Sami wiped his brow. "What's up?"

"Laurie's down for the week, and she wanted to invite you to dinner."

Again the familiar pang in his gut. Laurie. Since April, he had gotten to know her better. The more he got to know her, the more he liked her. Stupid, childish crush aside, he liked being with her. She was fun. Engaging. Intelligent. And, he admitted to himself, she made Finn happy. He felt the flare of jealousy but ignored it, and instead turned his attention to teasing his friend. "Is she starting the whole homemaker stuff? Doing your laundry and cooking your meals?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know, the thing women do to show they'll be a good wife. Does she greet you at the door with a cold drink and your slippers?"

"I don't wear slippers," Finn muttered. "And, no, it's not that. It's too early for that. Isn't it?"

"You're asking the single guy?" Sami snorted.

"We've only been dating for a few months. Wait, it's been more than a few. Eight months. Still too soon, right?"

"Again, single guy," Sami reminded. "You'd better ask someone that's more knowledgeable."

"Are you coming to dinner or not?"

After assuring that he would, Sami ended the call and stared, unseeing, out the windshield. Had it been eight months? Had they started dating soon after meeting?

Would she be dating him if he'd continued their conversation? Or would she have been more interested in Finn from the outset?

Would she be at his house, doing his laundry and cooking his meals?

When he got to Finn's place and his friend let him in, he instantly saw that a woman was staying there. Finn's Lego were still out and about. There was one in progress on the desk in the corner. The décor was the same. The bits and pieces that made up Finn's persona were all still there. But there were little signs of Laurie's presence in the apartment.

The usual clutter on the kitchen counter was gone. Not gone, Sami realized as he was greeted by Laurie, who was stirring something in a bowl. It was still there, just organized. As he ventured into the living area and dropped onto the couch, he noted there were new throw pillows. The curtains were new. Thick books were on the coffee table. And there was the faint aroma of cinnamon in the air. It was so easy for him to picture the two of them on the couch, enjoying the quiet while reading.

Sated by a delicious meal and excellent conversation, he insisted on helping with the dishes. Laurie somehow finagled Finn into doing them as well, and to Sami's surprise, she kissed them both on the cheek and disappeared into the bedroom. Left with a plate in his hand, Sami looked to Finn.

"It's only fair," the man said with a shrug, taking the plate and putting it in the dishwasher.

"You know," Sami began after a moment, focusing on scraping remnants of the meal into the trash. "I've never seen you happier than you are now."

"Yeah?" When Sami glanced up, he saw Finn's smile.

He nodded. The envy was still there, a dull ache now, but it was dim compared to the happiness he felt for his friend. "Yeah."

"I am happy," Finn admitted. "It's been hard as hell, keeping up a romance and being on the road. Y'know? But… She makes it worth it."

Not wanting to stop the man from the uncharacteristic discussion, Sami merely nodded.

"You know that shit you hear? 'Oh she makes me a better person' and all? It's… It's not like that. She doesn't make me different or better. She…" Finn paused, obviously still not used to opening up as he was. "She makes me want to be better. Before, I could go days and forget to call or text. But I know how happy I am when she calls or texts me, and that makes me want to do the same and make her happy. I can't explain it. I just… Making her happy makes me happy."

"Well I'm no expert, but…" Sami dragged the word out as he handed over the last of the dishes. Wiping his hands on a kitchen towel, he grinned. "Sounds to me like you're in love."

"I am," Finn said softly. "And it scares the hell out of me."

"Why?"

"For over half of my life, wrestling has been my love. It was me and the ring. Me perfecting everything I could. And it's still that." Finn closed the dishwasher and leaned against the counter. "It's just… I'd give it all up in a heartbeat for her."

Silence reigned after that statement. Sami would have sworn he could hear the seconds tick by. When Finn lifted his head, he could only smile. "Remember earlier? When you were saying it was too soon?"

"Yeah?"

"It's not."

* * *

 _Autumn_

Sami had just turned out the light when he heard his phone start to buzz on the nightstand. Groaning, he rolled over to retrieve it, making a sleepy mental note to put the damned thing on 'do not disturb' from then on. He squinted at the screen and, seeing Laurie's name, sat upright.

"Sami?" she blurted before he could utter a greeting.

"Yeah. What's wrong?"

"Finn."

His heart began to thud in his chest. He should have known. Damn Finn for pretending it was nothing at the arena. Damn himself for not sticking around despite his friend's assurances. Sleepiness forgotten, he switched on the light. "Where is he?"

"They transferred him to the hospital. It's…" Her voice faded, and he heard her mumbling.

He was already out of bed and pulling on his pants when she told him the name of the hospital. "His shoulder?"

"Yes. They just took him back for x-rays. He made me promise not to call his parents, but I had to call someone. And you're his best friend."

She was crying. Sami felt his heart break for her. "I'll be there as soon as I can."

He hung up after she promised to meet him at the Emergency Room entrance. He was still wrangling into his shirt when he left his room. The hotel was eerily quiet as he exited the lobby, and the blast of cool October air sent the last vestiges of tiredness away. The drive to the hospital was a blur, and he went the wrong way three times in the parking lot before reaching the Emergency area.

A vibrant yellow maple leaf swirled in front of him as he entered. Within seconds Laurie was walking towards him, and he grunted in surprise when she threw her arms around him. He steered her towards the chairs along the wall, then tentatively tucked his arms around her when he heard her muffled sob.

"Have you heard anything?" he asked once she'd pulled away and sat down. Sitting next to her, he saw the crumpled tissue clutched in one hand.

"They'll be done soon, allegedly." She sniffled, and began rummaging in her purse. "Dr. Amann's with him."

Sami nodded, reaching to take the packet of tissues from her trembling hands. He extracted one and handed it to her, instinctively placing a hand on her shoulder. "He'll be okay, Laurie."

"I know, but he… He looked so scared. And so small." She dabbed at her eyes, then blew her nose. "He was saying that if it's too bad, it could be the end of his career."

"It won't be the end," Sami promised, even though he knew nothing.

"But what if it is?"

She looked so scared. And so small. His heart broke again, even as he wondered if he would ever have someone be so worried about him. "It won't be," he said again. "And if it is, it's not the end of the world."

"It's the end of his world," she murmured. "He lives and breathes wrestling. If he can't get in the ring again—"

"Laurie, listen to me." He applied gentle pressure on her shoulder until she turned to look at him. "If he can't get in the ring again, Finn will still live and breathe wrestling. We talked about it years ago. If he can't compete, he'll train. If he can't train, he'll mentor. He won't let anything keep him from his life's passion."

"I just feel so stupid," she said. "And horrible. We got into a silly argument earlier. Before the show. And now I've had to sit here and think how it could have been so much worse. It could have been one of those freak accidents and the last thing I would have said to him was that he was a fucking moron."

Sami blinked in surprise. He wouldn't have thought they ever argued. As the weeks and months passed, they seemed to grow closer and closer. Each time he saw them together, he half-expected them to finish each other's sentences. He took a moment to gather his thoughts, to find some nugget of advice he could offer. "But it wasn't," he finally said. "Focus on the good, Laurie."

"I know," she whispered. She squeezed his arm. "Thank you so much for coming, Sami. I'd be going crazy without you."

"Hey, I know you're dating him, but I love him, too."

That garnered a true smile. "You're an amazing friend. He'll be happy to see you. I know I was."

Friend. He knew in that moment that all he would ever be was her friend. It was all he had ever been.

Hours passed. Specialists were consulted. Arrangements for a flight were made. The outlook was good. His shoulder wasn't damaged beyond repair. Torn ligaments that would keep him out of action for a few months. But he would be back in the ring shortly after New Year's. Surgery would be performed as soon as he got to Birmingham. Laurie would be with him. His parents were called, and would be on a flight to the States as soon as possible.

When the chaos died down, and it was just the three of them in Finn's room for the night, Sami watched Laurie crawl into bed on Finn's good side. Watched Finn wrap his arm around her. Witnessed a tender kiss. Whispered words. Then silence. He rose to his feet, was nearly to the door.

"Sami," Finn called softly.

He turned, saw Laurie curled protectively against Finn's side. Saw the exhaustion on his friend's face. "Yeah?"

"Thank you."

And suddenly, he was okay with being just a friend. Smiling, he nodded. "Anytime."

* * *

 _Spring_

"Did you get it?"

"This morning."

"Well, let me see."

Finn was already pulling the small box out of his suitcase. He held it out to Sami. "Be honest, will you?"

Sami took the black jeweler's box and opened it. The gold band gleamed in the light. The diamond, an elegant round stone, sparkled. It was simple. Elegant. As far from gaudy and over-the-top as possible. He could easily see it on Laurie's finger. "It's perfect."

"Yeah? I thought so." Finn took the box and stared at the ring inside.

"When are you going to ask her?"

"Tonight."

"During the show?" Sami inwardly cringed at the idea of Finn proposing during the chaos of a live event.

"After," Finn chuckled. He closed the box and reverently stowed it in his suitcase. "We're going to the rink. Our song is going to play and we'll skate, and…"

Sami couldn't help but laugh when he saw the silly grin on Finn's face. "Man, how long have you been planning this?"

"A couple weeks." The grin began to fade.

"Don't you dare," Sami warned, sitting down to begin lacing his boots. "Don't even think it."

"I'm not thinking anything."

"Yes you are. So stop. She won't say no."

"She might."

"She won't."

"But she might."

"She might," Sami conceded. "But she won't. She loves you, Finn."

"I know." Spoken with all the confidence of a man truly in love. "But—"

"She changed jobs for you."

"She changed jobs because it offered better pay and benefits, and it's a more prestigious position."

"Oh, so the fact that this prestigious position with better pay and benefits is only five miles from your apartment was just a coincidence?" Sami rolled his eyes.

"She's always wanted to live in Florida."

"Right."

"And it made sense for her to just move in with me instead of getting her own place," Finn continued.

"Just like it made sense for you to get a bigger place a month later?" Sami challenged.

"It was either that or trip over boxes of books for the rest of my life," Finn muttered.

Sami chuckled. "You're just miffed that she has more books than you have Lego."

"Nah." Finn sat down, but was immediately on his feet again. "Are you sure she'll say yes?"

"As sure as I am that you're driving yourself crazy for nothing. She'll say yes. You'll get married—"

"In Ireland."

"Huh?" Sami jerked his head up. That was news to him. Finn had never mentioned any preference as to the location of his possibly pending nuptials.

"When we were there at Christmas, she said she'd like to get married there. We went hiking to see the sunrise one morning, and that's when she told me. She said she'd love to find some little village and have the ceremony in an old church."

"Well, then." Sami spread his hands out. "There you go."

"But—"

"Don't." Sami got to his feet and reached for his cap and jacket. "She'll say yes. And she'll marry you. Be it in a little Irish village or in the middle of an ice rink or next to a stuffed giraffe in the Performance Center parking lot. And do you know why?"

"Why?" Finn stopped his nervous pacing.

"Because Laurie's been head over heels in love with you since the moment she met you. And she's stayed in love with you despite your tendency to forget to call or text. And she's loved you more every time I've seen her. She cried her heart out when you hurt your shoulder. She took time off with no pay to be with your grouchy ass while you were out of commission. Then she worked overtime to make up for the time she missed. She packed up her life and left her family and moved halfway across the country just so she could see you more than once or twice a month. So if you think after a year and a half, of doing nothing but loving and supporting you, that she'll just say no when you pull a huge romantic gesture and ask her to be your wife, you're fucking crazy."

Finn stared at him, obviously as shocked as Sami by the outburst.

"Sorry," he muttered.

"No," Finn sighed. "You're right."

"Of course I am." Sami clapped his friend on the shoulder, and got a hug in return.

"When the time comes, you'll be the best man, yeah?" Finn asked when they parted.

"For you? Absolutely."

* * *

 _Spring_

Laurie had found the little village of her dreams. Sami knew from Finn that she and Finn's mother and sister had taken more than a few road trips before finally stumbling across the perfect spot. It was a couple of months before she could show it to Finn in person, and then the preparations had begun.

Sami didn't even begin to wonder how much work went into preparing a wedding overseas. He just knew it involved two families, a priest, and probably the entire population of the chosen village. He felt sorry for all involved, especially when he fulfilled his best man duties by buying a new suit and arranging two bachelor parties. One with their coworkers, the men that were Finn's brothers on the road. The other with Finn's brothers and friends back home.

A week before the big day, he and Finn boarded a flight to Ireland. Time seemed to speed up, and the next thing Sami knew, they were being driven to the little church that was older than any he'd set foot in before. Finn's brothers met them there, and there were no last-minute hitches in the plans. Finn's father poured out measures of whiskey and made a toast just before the service began.

Later, he would remember only bits of the ceremony. The stained glass windows casting a glow on the sanctuary. The muffled conversations before the pianist began to play. Finn's nieces marching down the aisle, flinging flower petals everywhere. The hush of anticipation. The shuffle of Finn and Laurie's nearest and dearest rising to their feet. Above the music, Finn's startled gasp when he first saw Laurie coming down the aisle on her father's arm. The vows, spoken softly and reverently. The tender kiss. Laurie's veil floating behind her as she and Finn charged down the aisle together.

Through it all, joy and thankfulness that he was their friend.

 _~fin_


End file.
